Jimmy Clausen couldn't be happier after being selected by Carolina Panthers in NFL draft

Finally selected with the 48th pick in the draft by the Carolina Panthers, Jimmy Clausen said Friday night he's thrilled with his landing spot in the NFL.

"I couldn't have gone to a better place than Carolina," Clausen said in an interview on ESPN.

Clausen was projected to go as high as the top 10 picks and was seen as the second-best QB in the draft class. But he experienced a stunning slide down the draft board, finally ending when the QB-needy Panthers made their first pick of the three-day draft.

"It's a great situation for me," Clausen said. "I just talked to the coach and he said it's pretty much the same verbage (as the offense he played in at Notre Dame)."

The Panthers cut QB Jake Delhomme after last season and enter next season with unproven Matt Moore atop the depth chart. Clausen could compete with Moore for snaps right away.

Clausen said his family was very supportive during his unexpected trip down the draft board

"Obviously I wanted to go as early as I could," he said, "but this is a great situation for me." -- Sean Leahy

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About Nate Davis

Nate Davis is a reporter, blogger and editor who's been at USA TODAY since 2000. He has covered the NFL since 2005. No, he did not play quarterback for Ball State. Davis' succession of our esteemed colleague Sean Leahy at The Huddle is considered a Brady-for-Bledsoe swap by most "insiders."More about Nate